A HUGELY unpopular plan to move Cranleigh’s lone betting shop into the centre of the village has been thrown out.

Betfred’s proposal to move from its existing position on the corner of St James’s Place to larger premises at the High Street junction with Knowle Lane did not even make it to a planning committee.

Instead, planning officers at Waverley Borough Council used delegated powers to reject the controversial scheme at the end of last week.

The decision was welcomed by the Cranleigh Chamber of Trade and Commerce and also by parish, borough and county councillors.

Chamber of trade president Kate Fernandes said: “It is good news for Cranleigh – I do feel the people have spoken.”

Betfred’s arguments for moving – that it would provide more employment and be a more appropriate location – were rejected by Mrs Fernandes, who said: “The only reason for moving is that they would make such a volume of money on the gaming machines in a central location.”

The borough council rejected the proposal because it would have resulted in the loss of a retail unit in the village’s central shopping area.

The application was also turned down because there would have been a "disproportionate non-retail frontage" in a prime location – the site’s immediate neighbour is the Nationwide Building Society.

County councillor Alan Young declared: "Relocation of the Betfred premises to such a prominent position was hugely unpopular and a great number of people have contacted me to express their opposition."

Betfred declined to comment on the decision.

For more on this story, see this week's Cranleigh edition of the Surrey Advertiser, out on Friday March 29.